Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
  • G01S7/02—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S13/00
  • G01S7/027—Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness

Definitions

• Exterior component for a means of transport, means of transport and method for producing an exterior component
• the invention relates to an exterior component for a means of transport, a means of transport with the exterior component, and a method for producing such an exterior component.
• Exterior components can be designed as screens or covers, for example, and protect functional components of the means of transport from the effects of the weather, such as solar radiation, rain or snow.
• a radar system is a functional component of a vehicle that is particularly useful for a driver assistance system, such as an adaptive cruise control.
• document DE 102018 205739 A1 describes a radar screen with a colored three-dimensional relief in which three-dimensional structures up to a tenth of a radar wavelength are displayed on a front of the protective plate based on design elements in the color of a protective plate material. A chrome look is created on the basis of aluminum or tin.
• an object of the present invention to provide an exterior component for a means of transport, which can be produced efficiently and allows better visibility of the means of transport in the dark. Furthermore, it is an object to provide a means of transport with such an exterior component and a method for producing the exterior component. This object is achieved by an exterior component having the features of patent claim 1, a means of transport according to patent claim 9 and a method for producing an exterior component according to patent claim 10.
• the exterior component comprises an at least partially, preferably completely, transparent light-conducting layer with a recess, a light source accommodated in the recess, which is designed to couple (visible) light into the light-conducting layer, an at least partially transparent cover layer arrangement on the light-conducting layer, which is set up to at least partially reflect the light coupled into the light-guiding layer, and a light decoupling device, which is designed to reflect at least a first part of the light in a region of the exterior component that is at a distance from the depression and in which the exterior component is radar-transparent, decouple from the exterior component.
• the exterior component can thus be illuminated.
• it enables light to be emitted essentially in front of a radar sensor (transmitter and receiver), in order to provide an additional light exit surface on the means of transport.
• a radar-transparent area of the exterior component can de facto emit visible light into the environment.
• the entire surface of the means of transport emitting light into the surroundings can thus be enlarged in order to increase the visibility of the means of transport through the illuminated exterior component.
• the exterior component designed in the manner described above can be produced comparatively quickly, easily and inexpensively by means of an injection-compression molding process. Synergetically, the pattern or the shape of the light emitted from the exterior component can be defined comparatively easily by means of the light decoupling device.
• the light source accommodated in the recess can simultaneously radiate light directly into the light-guiding layer, so that the latter directs the light along the light-guiding layer and emit light directly in the direction of a visible side of the exterior component in order to produce a defined light shape.
• any of the layers mentioned here can be continuous or discontinuous. It is sufficient for that layer to be formed in the form of a layer at least in a partial area of the exterior component.
• the layer can be flat or single/multiple curved, or follow a predetermined contour of the exterior component. It goes without saying that the layers described here can have different thicknesses.
• the exterior component has a front side intended for viewing and a back side opposite the front side.
• each element of the exterior component, in particular the light-guiding layer and the cover layer arrangement, together with each individual layer of the cover layer arrangement has a front side and a back side.
• the cover layer arrangement is preferably arranged here on the front side with respect to the light-guiding layer and the light decoupling device is preferably arranged on the rear side relative to the light-guiding layer.
• the light guide layer can in particular be designed as a (flat or curved) surface light guide. It has been said that the light guide layer is at least partially transparent. Transparent here can mean optically clear or translucent. Furthermore, the light guide layer can be colored or colorless. In a preferred variant, the light-guiding layer is completely transparent, in particular optically clear, so that it can guide the light essentially without attenuation.
• the light guiding layer can have a first refractive index which is preferably greater than 1.4 or greater than 1.45 or greater than 1.5, preferably about 1.58.
• the light-guiding layer can be made in particular from a plastic (in particular polycarbonate).
• the light guide layer can be between 1 mm and 20 mm thick, preferably between 3 mm and 10 mm.
• a refractive index jump can be provided on the exterior component, so that the light guide layer guides the light by total internal reflection along the layer.
• the light source can be arranged and configured in particular in such a way that it emits at least the first part of the light at a predetermined angle relative to a main extension surface of the light-guiding layer, so that the light is totally reflected at the refractive index jump.
• a mirror layer can preferably be formed directly on the light-guiding layer, at least in sections, on the front side and/or the rear side of the light-guiding layer.
• the mirror layer can be metallic as a thin layer or dielectric.
• the recess is preferably designed as an elongated groove in the material of the light-guiding layer.
• the depression can have a cross section that essentially corresponds to a cross section of the light source, so that an inner peripheral surface of the depression/groove runs along an outer peripheral surface of the light source accommodated in the depression.
• the outer peripheral surface of the light source accommodated in the depression makes direct contact with the inner peripheral surface of the depression/groove.
• the light source can be mounted directly on the inner peripheral surface.
• the indentation can, in particular, extend from the back of the light-guiding layer into the material of the light-guiding layer, ie it can be open towards the back.
• the section of the light source can be inserted into the light-guiding layer from the rear, but not from the front.
• the depression When viewed along the light guiding layer, the depression can have a plurality of sections which are adjacent to one another or are spaced apart from one another. From the sections can each be particularly straight or curved.
• the section of the light source accommodated in the depression can have a plurality of subsections, one of which is arranged in one of the sections of the depression.
• the portions of the depression can form a pattern when viewed along the light guide layer. If the portions of the light source emit a second portion of the light out of the cavity toward the front, the pattern may be visible as a light pattern visible from the front. That Pattern or light pattern may represent one or more shapes, images, symbols, and/or emblems. Preferably, the pattern comprises contour lighting running in particular along an entire edge of the exterior component. Furthermore, the pattern can contain several parts, in particular lines, which can be located in the radar-transparent area of the exterior component.
• the light source accommodated in the recess does not preclude the provision of one or more additional light sources, which may even be designed in one piece with the light source described here, outside the depression. Rather, that part of an illumination device that is arranged in the depression is referred to here as a light source. In other words, light can leave the lighting device from the light source.
• the light source comprises an optical waveguide which, viewed in cross section, can be embedded at least in sections in the light-guiding layer.
• the optical waveguide can in particular be designed as an optical fiber or an optical fiber bundle with (at least) one core and (at least) one cladding.
• the optical fiber or the optical fiber bundle can be designed as a synthetic fiber/bundle or as a quartz fiber/bundle.
• the optical fiber/optical fiber bundle is preferably flexible so that it can advantageously be permanently bent non-destructively to a bending radius of at most 15 cm or at most 10 cm or at most 5 cm or at most 2 cm or at most 1 cm or at most 0.6 cm.
• the optical waveguide is preferably designed as a multi-core optical waveguide.
• it can have a plurality of cores which are enclosed in a common jacket.
• the optical waveguide can be built to be mechanically flexible on the one hand and with a relatively large diameter on the other, so that the second part of the light can be emitted from the exterior component over a significant width of the cover layer arrangement with a small overall height (thickness) of the exterior component and can be recognized accordingly is.
• the jacket can be made of a polyolefin, for example.
• the cladding can be provided with a means for predefined decoupling of the light from the optical waveguide, in particular directly, into the light-guiding layer.
• a surface of the cladding is preferably provided with a mirror layer in a first section if no light is to be emitted from the optical waveguide via this section. As a result, the light radiated into the optical waveguide can be used more efficiently.
• the intensity of the light coupled out there can be determined by varying a ratio between the refractive index of the cladding and the refractive index of the core/cores.
• the difference between the refractive index of the cladding and the refractive index of the core(s) can change along the optical waveguide.
• This difference between the refractive indices may be less than 0.2, or less than 0.1, or less than 0.05, or less than 0.01 in a partial portion of the second portion.
• the lighting device preferably also includes a light emitter, for example in the form of a laser (especially a diode laser) or a light-emitting diode.
• the light emitter can be set up to couple the light outside of the light guide layer into the optical waveguide.
• the optical waveguide can be assembled with a plug located outside of the optical fiber layer.
• the light source can have one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), ie the light-emitting diode(s) can be arranged directly in the recess.
• the exterior component is multi-layered, with the top layer arrangement being multi-layered in particular. All layers of the exterior component can be materially connected to each other.
• the cover layer arrangement can be formed on the front of the light-guiding layer.
• the top layer arrangement can have a heating layer, an intermediate layer, a carrier layer and/or a surface coating, these layers preferably being arranged flat on top of one another in this order, beginning at the front surface of the light-guiding layer.
• the heating layer can be arranged on the rear of the light-guiding layer.
• the top layer arrangement is preferably designed as a film, in particular a film insert for an injection molding or injection-compression molding process.
• the heating layer is at least partially, preferably completely, radar-transparent. In particular, it can be set up to ensure that the exterior component is free of frost during operation of the radar sensor system covered by the exterior component in order to prevent the latter from malfunctioning.
• one or more heating wires can run in the heating layer, which, viewed in cross section, have a diameter of less than 1 mm or less than 0.5 mm or less than 0.2 mm.
• the material of the heating layer that carries the heating wires preferably has a refractive index that corresponds to the first refractive index. In this case, the first part of the light can propagate essentially without reflection through an interface between the light-guiding layer and said material of the heating layer.
• the backing layer is preferably provided with an optically (to the human eye) visible pattern.
• the pattern can be realized by masking the carrier layer.
• the masking can have transparent and opaque areas.
• the opaque areas are preferably light-absorbing and/or reflective.
• the masking can contain, for example, white, multicolored or black color particles/pigments, so that the masking is visible to the viewer from the front side of the exterior component when the light source is not emitting any light.
• the masking can be formed, for example, by means of printing, screen printing, foiling or coating.
• the intermediate layer is preferably made of a so-called low-index material and has optically refractive properties. It is preferably set up to reflect light impinging on it from the light-guiding layer back in the direction of the light-guiding layer.
• the intermediate layer can have a second refractive index that differs from the first refractive index of the light-guiding layer.
• the second index of refraction is lower than the first index of refraction.
• the second refractive index can be at most 1.5, at most 1.45, at most 1.4 or at most 1.38, preferably between 1.3 and 1.45.
• the light source/optical fiber is configured such that the first portion of light strikes the back surface of the intermediate layer at an angle less than the angle of total reflection at the interface between the heating layer and the intermediate layer.
• a third surface area of the light source is preferably arranged between a first surface area in the circumferential direction of the light source, at which the first part of the light leaves the light source, and a second surface area in the circumferential direction of the light source, at which the second part of the light leaves the light source in which essentially no light leaves the light source.
• the intermediate layer can be made of a plastic, in particular polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate (PC).
• the surface coating preferably forms the front-side outer surface of the exterior component and is consequently formed on a surface of the cover layer arrangement which is remote from the light-guiding layer.
• the surface coating preferably serves as a protective layer. In particular, it can have a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the carrier layer, the intermediate layer, the heating layer and/or the light-guiding layer.
• the surface coating is preferably made of a plastic (particularly polyurethane).
• the light decoupling device can decouple light from the exterior component in the direction of the front side. In a preferred variant, the light decoupling device is arranged on an outer surface of the light-guiding layer, so that the light-guiding layer can be produced completely transparently and still comparatively easily by injection molding/injection embossing.
• the light decoupling device can be formed on the rear surface of the light-guiding layer.
• the light decoupling device preferably comprises light-scattering elements, which are arranged in the projected light-transmissive areas in the imaginary projection of the masking perpendicular to the light-guiding layer onto the back of the light-guiding layer.
• the means of transport proposed here can in particular be a vehicle, for example an electric vehicle or a land vehicle, and has an exterior component described above in detail.
• the means of transport preferably includes a radar system that is set up to emit radar waves.
• the exterior component can be arranged on the means of transport in such a way that the radar waves strike the radar-transparent area of the exterior component in particular on the rear side of the same.
• the exterior component can thus form a panel or a cover for a transmitting and/or receiving unit of the radar system, through which the radar waves can propagate, while light emerges from the front of the exterior component in the direction of the viewer.
• the exterior component is provided in the area of a front or a rear of the means of transport, so that the exterior component is visible from the outside.
• the exterior component can be arranged on the front of the vehicle above or below or as part of the front flap, for example in the central area below the front flap.
• the exterior component can serve as a decorative element, cover and/or decorative panel.
• the method for producing the exterior component can include at least one injection-compression molding process using an injection-compression molding device.
• the injection compression process preferably includes the following steps, which can be carried out in the order given below: Insertion of the at least sectional transparent top layer arrangement as an insert in an injection compression molding tool of the injection compression molding device, wherein the injection compression molding tool has a first tool cover; injecting a first molding compound into a cavity of the injection-compression molding tool while the injection-compression molding tool is incompletely closed; Closing a gate of the injection-compression molding device in order to prevent the first molding material from flowing back out of the cavity; and embossing the first molding compound to bond the transparent light guide layer to the topsheet assembly.
• the top layer arrangement is preferably formed without the surface coating.
• it can comprise the heating layer, the intermediate layer and/or the carrier layer.
• the cover layer arrangement is provided as a foil insert for this injection compression molding process and is positioned with the front side on an inner surface of the injection compression molding tool. The cover layer arrangement is thus practically back-injected in order to form the light-guiding layer.
• An injection molding process for reactive injection molding that takes place after the injection-compression molding process preferably includes the following steps, which can be carried out in particular in the order mentioned below: removing the first tool cover of the injection-compression molding tool after the injection-compression molding process; Aufset zen a second tool cover of the injection compression tool; Flooding the cavity of the injection compression molding tool with a second molding compound to form the surface coating of the cover layer arrangement, the second molding compound containing two (or more) components.
• the surface coating of the top layer arrangement can be formed by a painting process on the carrier layer with the masking.
• the deepening of the light-guiding layer can advantageously already be formed in the injection-compression molding process by means of a corresponding projection in the injection-compression molding tool.
• the depression can be introduced later, for example by milling.
• the terms “comprising,””having,””having,” and the like are not intended to be exhaustive. Specifically, that means The term “comprising a/e” in this context “comprising at least one/e”, ie “comprising a/e” does not exclude the presence of further corresponding elements.
• the terms “comprising a light-guiding layer”, “comprising a light source” and “having a depression” are to be understood in such a way that the exterior component has one or more light-guiding layers and one or more light sources and the light-guiding layer has one or more depressions be able.
• FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an exterior component in a cross-sectional view
• Figure 2 shows an embodiment of an exterior component in a front view
• FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a means of transport with the exterior component, the exterior component being arranged in the area of the front of the means of transport;
• FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a method for producing the exterior component.
• FIGS 1 and 2 show an exterior component 10 for a means of transport 100.
• the exterior component 10 is a cover for a radar sensor of a radar system and the means of transport is a motor vehicle, here for example an electric vehicle.
• the exterior component 10 has a multi-layer structure and comprises a transparent light-guiding layer 12 and a cover layer arrangement 22, starting on a rear side of the exterior component 10 located at the bottom in Figure 1, with the cover layer arrangement 22 moving from the rear in the direction of the front side of the exterior component 10 located at the top in Figure 1 heating layer 34, an intermediate layer 32, a carrier Layer 30 with a masking 33 and a surface coating 36 has.
• the surface coating 36 forms a protective layer on the front of the exterior component 10 and is preferably made of a plastic (in particular polyurethane). Neighboring these layers are bonded to one another.
• the light-guiding layer 12 is provided with a depression 14 into which a light source 16 in the form of an optical waveguide with a plurality of cores and a common cladding is inserted.
• the depression 14 comprises a plurality of depression sections 42, 44, 46, 48, in each of which a corresponding light source section is inserted.
• the depression sections 42, 44, 46, 48 shown in Figure 2 comprise a contour groove 48 running in the light-conducting layer along an outer circumference of the exterior component 10 and a groove pattern formed in a radar-transparent area 26 of the exterior component 10 (here in the form of three parallel, elongated grooves 42, 44, 46).
• the exterior component 10 is radar-transparent in the radar-transparent area 26 through its layers, i. That is, it negligibly attenuates radar waves in the direction of propagation.
• the light source 16/optical waveguide in particular the cladding of the optical waveguide, is in direct contact with the light-guiding layer 12, which is designed to direct a first part 18 and a second part 20 of the light coupled into the light-guiding layer 12 from the light source 16 inside the to guide Lichtleit harshma materials.
• a medium here: air
• light-guiding layer 12 made of a plastic here polycarbonate with a refractive index of 1.58
• the material surrounding the heating wires 35 of the heating layer 34 has essentially the same refractive index as the light-guiding layer 12.
• the light is guided along the light-guiding layer 12 by total reflection at an interface between the light-guiding layer 12 and the intermediate layer 32, the intermediate layer 32 being made of a material with low refractive index (here about 1.3).
• the heating wires 35 have a cross-section with a diameter of less than 3 mm.
• the jacket of the light waveguide of light source 16 is fitted along its outer peripheral surface with means for predefined decoupling of the light, which directs the emergence of the first part 18 of the light and the second part 20 of the light in cross section through the light source 16 to an associated first or Limit the second angle range.
• a (total) reflective area 19 is arranged between the first and the second angular area, in which essentially no light emerges from the optical waveguide. In a rear area of the optical waveguide, this is mirrored and provided with a holding element 21 .
• the second angular range extends over at most 20°, preferably at most 10°, most preferably at most 5°. This allows defined lines or contours to be displayed optically (so-called line light).
• the first angular range in which the first part 18 of the light propagates out of the optical waveguide, extends only over angles relative to the main direction of extension of the light-guiding layer 12, under which the first part 18 of the light undergoes total reflection on the rear surface of the intermediate layer 32 (see propagation of the first portion 18 of the light in Figure 1).
• the masking 33 of the backing layer 30 includes opaque areas that preferably form a pattern that is optically visible when the light source 16 is not emitting light.
• the pattern can be a background for a light pattern 50 (here, for example, a jagged pattern), which can be displayed on the exterior component 10 by means of the first part 18 of the light.
• a light pattern 50 here, for example, a jagged pattern
• the exterior component 10 also comprises a light decoupling device 24.
• the light decoupling device 24 is formed by light-scattering elements (e.g. prisms, embossing, microstructures with optics, or paint) on the rear surface of the light-guiding layer.
• the light-scattering elements are closed the opaque areas complementary light-transmitting areas of the masking 33 visible.
• the means of transport 100 is shown schematically in FIG. 3 and has a radar system 102 whose radar sensor system (in particular the transmitter and receiver of the radar waves) is arranged behind the exterior component 10 in the longitudinal direction of the means of transport.
• the radar waves emitted by the radar sensor system are derived from the rear of the exterior component 10 when they leave the radar system 102
• the exterior component 10 can be produced in particular by means of a method 200 shown schematically in FIG. 4, which in this case includes an injection-compression molding process and a reactive injection molding process.
• the injection compression molding process comprises the following steps: inserting 202 the cover layer arrangement 22 as an insert into an injection compression molding tool of the injection compression molding device having a first tool cover; injecting 204 a molding compound into a cavity of the injection compression molding tool while the injection compression molding tool is incompletely closed; Closing 206 a sprue of the injection-compression molding device in order to prevent the molding material from flowing back out of the cavity; and embossing 208 the molding compound to bond the transparent light guide layer 12 to the cover layer assembly 22.
• method 200 may include reactive injection molding operation 210 after stamping step 208, operation 210 replacing the first mold cover of the injection compression mold with a second mold cover after the injection compression molding process.
• the cavity of the injection-compression molding tool is then flooded with another two-component molding compound in order to quickly and easily form the surface coating of the top layer arrangement.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Injection Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

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Citations (4)

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• 2021
  • 2021-07-19 DE DE102021118563.7A patent/DE102021118563A1/de active Pending
• 2022
  • 2022-06-24 WO PCT/EP2022/067403 patent/WO2023001489A1/de active Application Filing
  • 2022-06-24 CN CN202280024195.6A patent/CN117063087A/zh active Pending

Patent Citations (4)

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